The end of the end of the world!

Next, our path led us to Picton, where we were surprised by a colony of stingrays during a walk.

Afterwards, we left the North and headed to Kaikoura. Kaikoura is located in a marine reserve and therefore has a great variety of marine life. We were lucky during our whale-watching tour and got to experience orcas and dolphins in the wild.

After the windy coast, we went to the spa town of Hamner Springs. There, we treated ourselves to a day of wellness and a long-awaited sauna. In order to spend more time in the mountains, we visited the Arthur's Pass National Park, where we went on beautiful hikes and observed the world's only alpine parrot (kea).

Full of anticipation, we visited Richard and Nicki again on their organic farm in Cheviot. We worked there for a week and even got to help with the production of cider.

After work, we spent another two weeks on the North Island. With our rental car, we explored the northernmost point (Cape Reinga) of New Zealand. Lastly, we visited Linda's relatives in Auckland. Frank, Kate, and their children welcomed us warmly and we had a great evening with a delicious dinner, wine, and wonderful conversations. For me (Linda), it was a particularly beautiful moment to meet family on the other side of the world after such a long time.

On 03.04., our flight back home starts, but with a small layover.

Next stop: Greece